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Dr. Calhoun Bellamy made it a point to stay away from his property while the crew was tearing down the old Varley house. He didn't want to remember scenes of destruction. (from the first line)

Since the tragic death of his wife and daughter, Don Lark has been moving from town to town, fixing up old houses and reselling them at a profit. He plans to do the same with the dilapidated mansion he's just bought in Greensboro, North Carolina, until the cheery neighbors, the lovely real estate broker, and even the old house work their charms on him and he decides to stay. But when he discovers a hidden tunnel under the cellar and starts asking questions, his welcome is suddenly worn out. There's more than a few skeletons in the closet in this distinctly modern variation on the haunted house tale.

From the Publisher:Damaged Houses A master craftsman, Don Lark could fix everything except what mattered, his own soul. After tragedy claimed the one thing he loved, he began looking for dilapidated houses to buy, renovate, and resell at a profit--giving these empty shells the second chance at life he denied himself. Damaged Souls Then in a quiet Southern town, Lark finds his biggest challenge: a squalid yet sturdy mansion that has suffered decades of abuse at the hands of greedy landlords and transient tenants. While two charming old neighbor ladies ply him with delicious cooking, they offer dire warnings about the house's evil past. But there is something about this building that pushes Lark on, even as its enchantments grow increasingly ominous. Will finishing the house offer Lark redemption, or unleash the darkest forces of damnation upon him?Don Lark's cheery name belies his tragic past. When his alcoholic ex-wife killed their daughter in a car wreck, he retreated from the sort of settled, sociable lifestyle one takes for granted. Only the prospect of putting a roof over other people's heads seems to comfort Lark, and he goes from town to town, looking for dilapidated houses he can buy, restore, and resell at a profit. In Greensboro, North Carolina, Lark finds his biggest challenge yet - a huge, sturdy, gorgeous shell that's suffered almost a century of abuse at the hands of greedy landlords and transient tenants. As he sinks his teeth into his new project, Lark's new neighborhood starts to work its charms on him. He strikes up a romance with the wry real estate agent who sold him the house. His neighbors, two charming, chatty old ladies, ply him endlessly with delicious Southern cooking. Even Sylvie, the squatter Lark was once desperate to evict from the old house, is now growing on him. But when Lark unearths an old tunnel in the cellar, the house's enchantments start to turn ominous. Sylvie turns cantankerous, even dangerous. There's still a steady supply of food from next door, but it now comes laced with increasingly passionate pleas for Lark to vacate the house at once. In short, everybody seems to want to get rid of him. Whether this is for his own good or theirs, Lark digs in his heels for reasons even he's not sure of. If Lark wins, he gets the kind of home and community he's always dreamed of. If he loses, all is lost...

Damaged Houses

A master craftsman, Don Lark could fix everything except what mattered, his own soul. After tragedy claimed the one thing he loved, he began looking for dilapidated houses to buy, renovate, and resell at a profit--giving these empty shells the second chance at life he denied himself.

Damaged Souls

Then in a quiet Southern town, Lark finds his biggest challenge: a squalid yet sturdy mansion that has suffered decades of abuse at the hands of greedy landlords and transient tenants. While two charming old neighbor ladies ply him with delicious cooking, they offer dire warnings about the house's evil past. But there is something about this building that pushes Lark on, even as its enchantments grow increasingly ominous. Will finishing the house offer Lark redemption, or unleash the darkest forces of damnation upon him?

Annotation:Loner Don Lark has arrived in Greensboro, North Carolina, hoping to occupy himself with refurbishing an old home for profit, while forgetting the acute tragedies that haunt his past. At first, the town and his neighbors are welcoming, but as time goes by, and Don starts uncovering some of the house's secrets--including a mysterious tunnel in the basement--folks become decidedly less friendly.

Author Bio

Orson Scott Card

Orson Scott Card was born and raised in a Mormon family and has continually pointed out that Mormonism is the primary force in his life. He attended Brigham Young University and the University of Utah, and spent time in Brazil as a Mormon missionary. His earliest writings were radio and stage plays (Card has estimated the number at over 100) telling the history of Mormonism. His first published fiction was the science fiction short story called "Ender's Game" in 1977, which was nominated for a Hugo Award and a Reader's Award from Locus magazine. The Locus Award is based on votes compiled from the magazine's readers and is important in demonstrating just how popular Card is with readers. Since that story, Card has been nominated for or won the award more than 30 times, which is extraordinary considering the relatively short time that he has been writing fiction. In 1985, Card published an expanded version of "Ender's Game" as a novel, and won both the Hugo and Nebula awards. It was followed by a sequel in 1986, SPEAKER FOR THE DEAD, which also won the Hugo and Nebula, marking the first time in the history of the awards that one author won both in successive years. Card's next series of books, the Alvin Maker series, started in 1987 with SEVENTH SON. This series is set in an alternate past of America, and is closely modeled on the reported life of Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormon Church. The Homecoming series--THE MEMORY OF EARTH, THE CALL OF EARTH, THE SHIPS OF EARTH, EARTHBORN, and EARTHFALL--repeats this theme, but in a space opera setting. Card has also written nonfiction--his first book, LISTEN, MOM AND DAD..., was actually about child-rearing. He has also tried his hand at horror, mainstream, and children's fiction, and he is also a respected editor and reviewer.